OTTAWA, May 22 (UPI) -- Retail sales in Canada in March were nearly flat, with just a 0.1 percent monthly gain to $35.5 billion, the Statistics Canada agency reported Thursday.
With the exception of February 2008, sales in constant dollars have been on the rise since October 2007, the report said.
March saw a 2.6 percent national drop in sales at clothing and accessories stores, while sales in the automotive sector were up 0.4 percent, the fifth increase in six months, StatsCan said.
Seven provinces reported sales gains in March, but sales were dragged down by a 3.1 percent drop in Quebec, which the agency suggested could be attributed to a particularly harsh winter. Heavy snowfall was also likely the cause for a fall in retail sales in three of the four Atlantic provinces, the report said.